“What you experienced in life, those feelings of trying to please everyone and, in reality, pleasing no one and certainly not pleasing yourself, that’s something that so many of us, women in particular, experience.”

-Joann Herrmann

Who am I?
What do I want?
How can I serve?

Mallika shares with Joan Herrmann of Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life that while growing up, her father taught her and her brother to focus on and ask for the things that will ultimately lead to a richer life- happiness, love, connection, versus the things we usually attribute with material wealth and security. These questions have been important regardless of the stage whether that be while she was a child or first settling into a career, becoming a mom or launching a brand new business. Continue reading →

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Compassion is changing before our eyes. A religious concept associated with Jesus and Buddha (known as “the Compassionate One”) is being researched today through brain scans and positive psychology. In positive psychology your aim is to reach a state of well-being. The actions of a compassionate person, being kind and sympathetic, turn out to bring personal benefits as well. This is one way that a spiritual value acquires practical, everyday value.

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Does dating freak you out? If so, I’ve got 3 tips to turn your fear around! In this Dear Gabby video I offer soulful guidance on how to be a great date. If you’re already in a relationship or married use these tips to reignite the spontaneity, authenticity and romantic spark! Post questions and comments below and I’ll be sure to reply! Continue reading →

In preparing to write Living with Intent, Mallika Chopra sought the wisdom of friends and leaders who exemplified the embrace of their own journey toward their dreams. One of those people is Gretchen Rubin, author, wife and mom, who is known for her teaching on happiness and the habits that get you there.

Are you a night person trying to make early morning habits?
Are you trying to institute a million changes as once?
Is any of it helping?
We’re excited to share the interview with Mallika and Gretchen today: Continue reading →

I’m out with a new Dear Gabby video, and this one totally rocks. As you know, for the past decade I’ve been a motivational speaker and self-help book author. I wake up every day freaking thrilled to run to my computer and get to work. I am so psyched about my career because I let passion and purpose become my life’s work. And I believe we all have the power to turn our passion into our paycheck. Continue reading →

Mainstream media is busy these days with all the hard and troubling news to report. Buildings are burning down. Typhoons are destroying villages. Men and women struggle for life and justice is blurry. 2014 has come with much heartache but it has also come with some sweet moments. For example, one videographer captured the moment with runners in the San Jose 408k marathon left the course to shake hands with a WWII veteran who had come out to cheer them on. Runner after runner paused to grasp his hand with both of theirs and left him all smiles on the sidewalk. Continue reading →

Yesterday a friend dropped an email into my inbox.
It said, “I just have to share something with you …..on Sunday, Brian
and I went to see the feature film, Hector and The Search for Happiness…
we laughed, we cried…it is funny, inspiring, transformational….we just loved it.”

By the end of the day, I’d watched the trailer several times, remembered how much I loved Simon Pegg, and had some great answers to questions about happiness from director and co-writer Peter Chelsom.

May I present “Hector and the Search for Happiness”…

As the man who filmed a man traveling the world in search of happiness, Chelsom seems pretty qualified to offer insights as to what makes people feel whole and satisfied. We’re happy to share the interview and his wisdom here!

Intent: Why do you think “Hector and the Search for Happiness” is important for today’s audience?PC: We have lost sight of what happiness really is. We have become too “needy.” We are more pre-occupied with being interesting as opposed to be interested. And credit and advertising have made sure that we are never going to have enough!

Intent: What is one thing you think the world doesn’t get about happiness?PC: Making happiness the goal doesn’t really work but what does work is understanding that real happiness is a by-product of giving yourself over to life, being in the flow, being inspired. What does work is that real happiness is richness. Richness is the full spectrum of all of the emotions, all the colors.

Intent: What/where is your happy place?PC: Being with my family. And, being with my family at our home in Italy.

Intent: What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone who starting their own search for happiness?PC: I say to my sons. “Come on boys, what is the secret to happiness and they reply kindness.” I love that because it’s a mission, a plan, an transitive action, something you can do. The by-product is surely happiness.

Intent: Were you surprised to learn anything over the course of filming- about yourself, about your career, about life?PC: Very much. How lucky I am. How far I’ve come. As writers, Tinker Lindsey and I had to get personal and look to ourselves.
I genuinely feel that the zero on my axis has risen so that the lows are not as desperate and the highs are more cherished.

Intent: Has there ever been a big risk that you took and ended up being really glad you did?PC: Yes. Becoming a filmmaker, is a ridiculous risk. What bugs me about non-believers and atheists, they talk about deluding yourself and I say, if I had NOT deluded myself, I would have never become a filmmaker. If I had been a realist, I would have never had tried. You say delusion, I say faith.

Intent: When it comes to making choices about your life, what criteria do you use when deciding yes or no?PC: The criteria used to be selfish, now that I am a family man, family has become the criteria.

Intent: What fears are left for you to conquer?PC: Growing old.

Intent: What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done?PC: Having children. I wouldn’t have said that I am naturally qualified, now I think I’m pretty good!

Intent: If you could go on an adventure, where would it be and what would it look like?PC: Having been round the world making this film, my idea of adventure is not a check box of lots of different places, but exploring one place, one area in massive details. Probably, me, the family, the car and 8 weeks to travel through all of Italy.

So go see it.
Go take a couple of hours to rest your brain, laugh, cry, and then ask yourself what you want out of this life. Every day is a day where everything can change. It might was well be today.